There is provided a method of starting an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and an intake valve which opens during an intake stroke of an engine cycle to allow air to be inducted into the combustion chamber. The method comprises cranking the internal combustion engine with advanced closing timing and a reduced lift of the intake valve without combustion of air and fuel in the combustion chamber from a stroke of the engine cycle prior to a first intake stroke of the combustion chamber since an engine start request, starting combustion of air and fuel in the combustion chamber after the first intake stroke, and retarding closing timing of said intake valve from the advanced closing timing and increasing the valve lift after the combustion is started. Accordingly, air charge in the combustion chamber may increase properly conforming to the engine speed increase caused by the combustion. Therefore, the torque derived from the combustion of the charged and fuel may increase the engine speed moderately after the beginning of the combustion.